Strategic analysis of a company located in UAE Essay

Strategic analysis of a company located in UAE - Essay Example Furthermore, the aviation industry of the Middle East will also be evaluated. Based on the findings, the study will underline the key strategic issues faced by Etihad Airways. A conclusion will be drawn regarding the most important strategic issue faced by the company. Once the issue is identified the report will offer some suggestions by which the issues can be either controlled or fully curbed. Finally the implementation process of the strategy will be portrayed. Etihad Airways, the national airlines of the United Arab Emirates was established in the year 2003, by Royal decree. The operation of the company started in the month of November, 2003 (Abed, Vine, Hellyer and Vine, 2006, p.207). Nevertheless, the journey began with a ceremonial flight from the Abu Dhabi airport to Al Ain. It is presently headquartered at the Khalifa City A, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Etihadairways, n.d.). The company operates with around 1300 flights in a week. Etihad Airways has its operation in 55 countries of the world. The company has a total fleet size of 67 airbuses and some Boeing aircrafts. According to the recent reports, the company has carried 8.3 million passengers in the year 2011. The data also reveals that the company has been able to achieve a staggering 17 % growth regarding the total number of passenger carries. The net revenue of the company was US$ 4.1 billion and the profit was US$ 14 million. It is also considered as one of the fastest g rowing airlines company in the history of aviation industry. The primary business of the company is to provide transportation services to the customers. However it also offers packaged holiday tours and tender international delivery services for its customers. In the passenger transportation service, the company has three products namely Pearl business class, diamond first class and coral economy class. The

Read April Morning and write an essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Read April Morning and write an - Essay Example For example in chapter 1 in the Afternoon before the battle, women are portrayed as religious people. This happens when Adam’s mother is preparing supper and when Adam delivers some water to her she asks him why he does not read the bible just like his father used to do. According to Adams mother, Moses Cooper the father to Adam had memorized the book of Lamentations by age of 15 which is Adams age (Fast 8). Another encounter in which women are portrayed as religious is when granny is having a conversation with Adam. When granny asks Adam about if the Committeeman was connected to Sam Adams and Adam replies yes she concludes that Adam is a theist which also shows the religious role of women in the novel (Fast 16). In addition to this, the author cites a reverend as one of the characters in this book but does not show any instances where the character inspires people to be religious leaving the role for women only. Another example of the theme of religion expressed by women in this novel is when granny asks Adam, â€Å"If God gave a person brains, then shouldn’t he use them?† Ruth is also portrayed as a religious young lady (Fast 22). At her teen age youth she was religious and granny ask why Adam had participated in trying to shake Ruth Simmons’s faith. The author also portrays the religious nature of women in the novel when granny got into an argument with his son Moses when Moses said that, â€Å"The highest good was to doubt†. According to granny God was the greatest and hence could not be doubted (Fast 27). The author has also used women to show an understanding and caring character in this novel. Adam confesses that the only person who understands him is her grandmother and most of the time he will spend time with her and make stories (Fast 14). The author further illustrates women as peaceful and caring people when granny tries to control Moses Cooper from attacking his son

Unilateral Action by the Obama Administration

Unilateral Action by the Obama Administration Introduction One of the main features of the American system of government is the push and pull between the executive and legislative branches when it comes to the extension of powers of the federal government (Ellis, 2015: 403). Furthermore, the issue of the unilateral action taken by the executive in order to advance certain political issues has also been a source of great controversy throughout American political history. In the first part of the paper, there will be a treatment of differences between the perspective on unilateral action taken by the Obama administration and that espoused by Senator Ted Cruz. The second section of the paper tackles the level of impact of unilateral action as a tool for political change. The differences between the perspective on unilateral action taken by the Obama administration and Senator Ted Cruz Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) compiled a list in which he outlines a series of important occasions in which President Obama implemented decisions regarding issues affecting public life through the use of executive fiat. Senator Cruz’s list outlined some general areas where President Obama used executive fiat, included provisions regarding the entitlement to stay in the country for certain groups of immigrants and the recognition of same-sex marriage in the state of Utah (Cruz, 2014). At the same time, Senator Cruz’s list also included the implementation of provisions regarding Obamacare, national security, measures that affected the American economy, appointments to positions in the federal government and the adoption of measures concerning free speech and privacy. In addition to this, the list compiled by Senator Cruz specified certain â€Å"abuses of power† allegedly committed by the executive that appears to be tantamount to mere political stances typical of any incumbent president (Cruz, 2014). At the very core of Senator Cruz’s stance, there is a clear indication regarding his disapproval on how these moves expanded the power of the federal government. The Senator backed up its claims by issuing a warning regarding the dangers of departing from the idea laid down by the Founding Father, which concerns the need to ensure that the United States will continue to be a â€Å"Republic of Laws, and not of Men† (Cruz, 2014). A cursory look at the list compiled by the White House shows that the president used executive order, as granted to him by the law, in order to put forward provisions that would advance his agenda on progressive issues (Presidents News Conference, 2014). For example, during 2014, which the White House branded as the â€Å"year of action†, there was a particular interest placed on equal employment opportunity, fair pay for workers and environmental issues (The American Presidency Project, 2014). The evidence presented in both lists suggests that although the executive took unilateral action on a number of issues deemed to be of paramount importance to the Obama administration, those were mostly dealt through the issuing of executive orders (White House statement, 2014). It appears that the main difference between the list of executive orders issued by the Obama administration and the list provided by Senator Cruz resides in the fact that the latter concentrates on minute actions that may not even be directly attributed to the President but to the different departments of the executive. There is, in this context, a highly tendentious element attached to the Senator’s list. The executive highlighted the need to collaborate with the U.S. Congress in the passing of legislation. However, the contents of the executive order issued by the president also have, in spite of the president’s pragmatic position, a clearly partisan slant, as seen in the interest placed on environmental and healthcare issues (Rudalevige in Rockman, Rudalevige and Campbell (eds.), 2011: 190). A close examination of both lists demonstrates that the one compiled by Senator Cruz is mostly centred on the unilateral actions taken by the White House without using executive orders. There is therefore a considerable difference between the two lists. This indicates the political element attached to the extension of the federal government and the way in which the U.S. Congress, in this case through the auspices of Senator Cruz, acts as a balancer in the quest of the executive to be the main determinant of the course of events in American politics. The impact of unilateral action on the continuation of the status quo From the examination of both lists, it transpires that the power of the executive in order to exert political change seems to be curtailed by the need to attain a good working relationship with the U.S. Congress; a fundamental feature of the U.S. system of government, based on the principle of checks and balances. At the same time, the discretionary use of executive powers remains a controversial area in U.S. politics (Ellis, 2015: 405). The ability of the executive to advance the causes that it deems necessary to the betterment of society is restrained by the electoral process, which places a great degree of scrutiny on the actions of the president. The Obama administration was able to pass Obamacare and speed up some of the measures pertaining to its implementation at a time when the Democrats had a majority in Congress (Rudalevige in Rockman, Rudalevige and Campbell (eds.), 2011: 183). For all the reasons cited above, it could be argued that unilateral actions can only in very spe cific circumstances become an instrument for the change of the status quo. Conclusion By way of conclusion, it could be posited that the controversy arising from the use of unilateral action on the part of the Obama administration (as seen in the report compiled by Senator Cruz) is indicative of the highly partisan nature of the issue. The findings of these investigations show that the use of discretionary powers by the executive is severely curtailed by the system of checks and balances and the influence exerted by public opinion on the actions of the executive. Bibliography Cruz, T., The Legal limit Report Number 4 The Obama Administrationss Abuse of Power, 2014 http://www.cruz.senate.gov/files/documents/The%20Legal%20Limit/The%20Legal%20Limit%20Report%204.pdf Accessed on 11/30/2014 Ellis, R. (2015) The Development of the American Presidency, Routledge, London Presidents News Conference, 1/8/2014 www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=105506 Accessed on 11/22/2014 Rudalevige, A. (2011) Rivals or a Team? Staffing and Issue Management in the Obama Administration in Rockman, B., Rudalevige, A. and Campbell, C. (eds.) The Obama Presidency: Appraisals and Prospects, CQ Press, Washington, DC The American Presidency Project, 2014, List of Executive Orders issues by President Obama www.presidency.ucsb.edu/executive_orders.php?year=2014Submit=DISPLAY Accessed on 11/28/2014 White House statement, 2014, What does a year of action mean, exactly? www.whitehouse.gov/year-of-action -Accessed on 11/26/2014

The Rainmake - Film Review Essay -- essays research papers

John Grisham’s â€Å"The Rainmaker† is the sixth novel to film adaptation and is by far one of the more accomplished. Directed by Francis Ford Copolla, this intriguing courtroom drama reveals the ordeals of a young lawyer and associate entering the realm of unscrupulous money hungry company’s scams. â€Å"They were totally unqualified to try the case of a life time, but every underdog has his day†. To become a â€Å"Rainmaker† is Rudy Baylor’s (Matt Damon) ambition, to try the case of a lifetime and make the â€Å"big bucks† fall from the sky. Passing his bar exam with ease, this idealistic Memphis law school graduate, confidentially enters the eye-opening world of law and injustice in the 90’s. Kick-starting his career in an firm of ambulance chasing attorneys, headed by the shifty Bruiser Stone, Baylor’s business is initially sparse, until Deck Schifflet (Danny De Vito) an unlicensed, street-wise legal assistant attempting the bar for the sixth time, steps in and demonstrates to the inexperienced Baylor how it is done. Mrs. Birdie, (Teresa Wright) Baylor’s landlady, becomes his first case, a chirpy elderly lady wishing to leave her fortunes to a TV evangelist, much to the disdain of her family, whom Birdie wants to â€Å"cut,cut,cut† from her will. His second case is Kelly Riker, (Clare Danes) a young woman repeatedly assaulted by her husband Cliff (Andrew Schue). Riker catches Baylor’s eye in the hospital cafeteria, covered in bruises, attracting Baylor’s special interest to the case, as well as the safety of the defendant. The central case of the film is that of a mother’s battle against an insurance company who refuse to pay insurance for her only son Donny Ray (Johnny Whitworth) who is dying of Leukemia. Dot Black (Mary Kay Place) puts forward a strong case, with the assistance of Baylor, unveiling the injustice Insurance Company Great Benefits exhibits in shunning a lower class family out of much needed money insuring a young man’s health and well-being. A heartwrenching tale of injustice unfolds in this Memphis courtroom, accompanied appropriately with many a humorous action and anecdote. The fact that it is set in actual locations in the city of Memphis, Tennessee, gives this 20th Century film great authenticity. The home of Dot, Buddy and Donny-Ray Black is representative of typical lower working class citizens; a run-down American ranch style house with a wide front... ... courtroom. He also featured techniques such as cross cuts between the interrogation of the CEO and Schifflets search for Lemanczyk, and flash back sequences of the happy days when Donny Ray was healthy and the insurance company rep. was offering the Black family a â€Å"great† insurance deal. Voice Overs allowed the viewer to experience Baylor’s thoughts and sound effects like the thud of the baseball bat on Cliff Riker’s skull and use of rain and thunder in the murder scene, decorated the film and added to the suspense of the plot. Lighting in red tones gave warmth to the happier scenes and gray tinges shadowed the gloomier scenes. Music was predominantly instrumental with love themes during Baylor and Rikers intimate scenes and triumphant scores signifying the victory of the Black/Great benefits case. Costumes were thought out with Dot Blacks clothing coming from Good will stores to fasten that lower class citizen appearance. In Conclusion, the entire film was a well thought out production. â€Å"The Rainmaker† was an interesting, enjoyable and at times quite poignant film, and well worth a high, middle, and lower class citizens movie ticket buying money!!! Recommended viewing for all.

Platform technology Essay

Servlets are supported by the Java Sun platform technology of option for expanding and improving web servers and they provide a component-based, platform independent method for making web applications, without the confines of the performance of CGI programs. They are sustained in nearly all web servers. There are many popular servlets which are available in the market at the moment. JRun is a J2EE application server, initially made in 1997 as a Java Servlet engine by Live Software and later on bought by Allaire, who brought out the first J2EE compliant edition. It was obtained by Macromedia prior to its 2001 takeover of Allaire, and later by Adobe Systems when it bought Macromedia in 2005. Its latest patch Updater 7 was released by Adobe in 2007. Updater 7 added Sun JDK 1. 6 support, Apache 2. 2 support, Windows Vista/IIS7 support and Mac OS X 10. 4 on Intel support. This feature differentiates it from other servlets. Similarly, iPlanet was a product that was used mutually by Sun Microsystems and Netscape Communications Corporation when sharing out software and services as part of a non-limited cross marketing contract. AOL has continued to market the directory and certificate server products below the Netscape brand. After AOL joined with Netscape, technology analysts conjectured that AOL’s major concern was the netscape. com website, which some thought to have replaced the Internet Explorer browser. Apache Tomcat is also an open source Servlet made by the Apache Software Foundation (ASF). Tomcat uses the Java Servlet and the Java Server Pages (JSP) provisions from Sun Microsystems and that gives it the edge over other servlets. As far as choosing one Servlet for our organization is concerned it depends on the platform technology. And since JRun is a J2EE application server therefore I would choose it over others. REFRENCES http://www. wikipedia. org QUESTION: Research some of the popular Servlet engines (Tomcat, JRun, IPlanet, etc). What features are there that make one Servlet engine better than the other? How would you go about choosing one for your organization?

Of Human Bondage Essay

‘Of Human Bondage’ is a story about Philip Carey, a man with a clubfoot. He was orphaned when he was nine years old, and lived with his vicar uncle and aunt in Blackstable. His stay there was lonely and miserable. His uncle lived a religious and monotonous life, while his aunt was a typical Victorian Era wife, submissive to her husband. But while his uncle was always strict and rigid, his aunt sometimes showed him affection and love. His handicap made him feel isolated and an outcast, especially when he entered preparatory school in Tercanbury. But he was able to graduate and enter King’s school. There he met Mr. Perkins the headmaster, who was quite unpopular because he came from a family of linen drapers. Philip was encouraged to learn because Mr. Perkin commended his intelligence. He even made a friend named Rose, who was everything that he was not, popular, liked, and an unintelligent boy. But due to scarlet fever, which made him go home to Blackstable, their friendship suffered. It is at this episode that Maugham will start to clearly point out what his novel is about, classifying human experiences between bondage and freedom. The analysis of the novel will be seen through the classification of the experiences of the main character as he transferred from one place to another. Up to this point, it was all about bondage; Philip has to conform to the rigid and unaffectionate life with his uncle and aunt and to the unforgiving cruelty of young people when he was in the preparatory school and King’s school. But when he decided to transfer to Heidelberg, he started to experience freedom. In Heidelberg, Philip was influenced on how to think, and learned so many things. He lived in a boarding house by Professor Erlin, and he was able to meet new friends, with different qualities and approaches in life. When winter arrived, he decided to go back to Blackstable. He is then subjected to bondage again when he got into an affair with Emily Wilkinson, a guest in the vicarage. Being older than him, she was possessive and demanding which made Philip tire of the relationship easily. But thankfully, she left the vicarage for Germany, enabling Philip to decide about what to do with his life. His uncle then convinced him to go to London and become an accountant. Philip found London to be dreary and lonely. He did not like the silence and self-centeredness of the people. We can then deduce that Maugham intended to show London as a form of bondage for Philip; he had to conform to his uncle’s intentions for him to live a respectable but also a boring and rigid life. He broke off from this bondage and decided to transfer to Paris, with his aunt’s help. Paris was a combination of freedom and bondage for Philip, freedom because he made new friends and was able to expose himself to all kinds of ideas. However, he also experienced bondage because he discovered that he cannot become a great artist. His friend committed suicide because of the same realization. With the news that his aunt died, he immediately went back to Blackstable. His uncle was a disappointment because he did not show any sign of mourning, he even ate a big meal. But being able to see beyond his uncle’s hypocrisy, he accepted his uncle’s recommendation to enter the medical profession. He then goes back to London. After being responsible with his studies for a while, he met Mildred, the person who will be the biggest obstacle for him to succeed. He became obsessed with her, even to the point of stopping his medical study so he can give expensive gifts to her. After a series of betrayals by Mildred, he finally realized that he can let go of her. Philip then entered a financial slump; binding him with poverty. Thankfully, the Althelny’s were able to help him get a job. His uncle then died, leaving him with six hundred pounds, enough to let him continue his studies. He experiences a feeling of freedom after he finishes with his medical studies, and repaid the Athelny’s for their kindness. He decided to marry Sally, the oldest daughter and live a life happy ‘bondage’ with her in Dorcestershire. Reference http://pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pmOfHuman01.asp

Asthma Research essays

Asthma Research essays In order to conduct a search on the topic. Does education of the patient and the family in self-care management result in improved health and functional health in adult asthmatics?, I first looked for key words in the question. First I put in patient, education and asthmatic. The responses did not fit properly; they were more schooling oriented. I next put in adult, self-care, asthma and education. I was closer, but the education was skewing the responses. Finally, I put in adult, self-care and asthma. I also requested articles after 2003, because I wanted newer studies. This brought up about 227 articles; many of them were oriented toward specific ethnic/cultural groups; these were not applicable. I thus went with the two that appeared to be the most comprehensive and informative on the subject. The first article, Can asthma control be improved by understanding patients perspective I thought should be included. This was not only because of its subject and abstract that closely related to the above question, but also it consisted of responses from a panel of professionals at the International Primary Care Respiratory Group who considered the evidence to date on the subject and discussed the implications for primary care practice. This article, then, would provide an overview of a number of different researchers on this topic. Based on research to date, these healthcare professionals debated the following questions: 1. What levels of asthma control are patients currently achieving? 2. What are the common causes of poor control?, and 3. What are the main patient-related determinants of asthma control? In response to the question about education and self-management, these professionals concluded: It is possible to improve current levels of asthma control if healthcare professionals do four things: 1) use appropriate, patient-centered tools to assess control; 2) identify ...

99 Red Balloons Essays

99 Red Balloons Essays 99 Red Balloons Essay 99 Red Balloons Essay 99 Red Balloons AnalysisThis was one of the songs in the 80s to make a point about the brinkmanship and paranoia/hysteria surrounding the issue of war. The song talks about Nena and the listener buying 99 Balloons in a shop and letting them go, for fun. These balloons show up on the radar as unidentified objects and both sides scramble planes and go to full alert to counteract a perceived nuclear attack, when in fact it is the most childlike of things, a bunch of balloons.This song was recorded in 1982, released in Germany in 1983 and in the United Kingdom in 1984. It appeared first as a single titled 99 Luftballons. The lyrics for the song were written by Nenas guitarist Carlo Karges and the music was composed by Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen , Nenas keyboardist. The song made it to the top spot in the UK charts and the second spot in the US.The idea for the song came to Karges while Nena was playing at a Rolling Stones concert in Berlin. During the show Karges noticed that a number of ba lloons were being released. As he watched them fly away he noticed that they looked more like a space craft than a bunch of balloons. He then began to wonder what would happen if the clump of balloons drifted into communist east Germany.The song was written during a period of escalating rhetoric and tension between the US and the Soviet Union. During this period the policy of detente, which had progressed under the Nixon and Carter administrations, was undermined by the stern anti-communist stance of Ronald Regan, who famously described the Soviet Union as an evil empire. This was a drastic move away from the policy of cooperation that had resulted in the SALT I, SALT II, and Non-nuclear proliferation treaties. It is possible that part of the appeal of 99 Red Balloons was the way in which it captured the growing sense of danger in this period. In particular the deployment by the US of Pershing II missiles in west Germany led to a storm of protest in Europe during

A Review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, a Novel by J. K. Rowling

A Review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, a Novel by J. K. Rowling The novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, written by J. K. Rowling is the first book in a seven-part series. Harry Potter’s heroic journey through the Muggle World into the Wizarding World shows a growth in himself and his mind. Potter follows the stages introduced by Joseph Campbells Monomyth, learning new wizarding skills and challenging himself. Harry demonstrates the three stages; separation, initiation, and return, which are then divided into seventeen steps. Harry Potter’s heroic journey can be traced by readers throughout the novel. The first stage of Joseph Cambell’s seventeen stage monomyth is separation, with five steps: call to adventure, refusal of call, supernatural aid, crossing the threshold, and belly of the whale. The call to adventure is the original alarm given to the hero, taking him from normality into an unknown trip. Harry Potter lives with his uncle, aunt, and cousin who hide from Harry that he is a wizard. His uncle, Mr. Dursley, shows characteristics of the ruler archetype by trying to have the most successful family. He displays his force through constantly nagging Potter. Dursley takes drastic measures to keep the letters that Harry has been admitted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry unopened, like moving the family of four out to a secret shack. The first two steps in Joseph Cambell’s monomyth are actually switched because oddly enough, the refusal of call is not done by Potter himself, but by his own uncle before the call to adventure. The refusal of the call is when the hero objects to the undertaking. Fortunately Mr. Durley could not keep the mail a secret and Potter ends up receiving a letter that he is admitted to Hogwarts School. Harry seems excited and ready to explore the magical world. A supernatural aid is often a figure who guides the hero through his new journey. Harry’s supernatural aid is a â€Å"giant of a man† who delivers the letter on Potter’s eleventh birthday, Rubeus Hagrid (Rowling 46). Hagrid can be classified as an explorer in the twelve common archetypes. The motto that the explorer exhibits is â€Å"don’t fence me in† (Golden 3). Throughout the book, he likes to live alone and barbarically as keeper of the grounds. Hagrid first introduces Harry to the wizardry world and helps him and his friends decipher the Sorcerers Stone. In the next step Harry crosses the threshold by leaving the behind his world of normality for a foreign experience. This is done by Potter at the â€Å"famous † Leaky Cauldron with Hagrid (Rowling 68). Potter is greeted with â€Å"scraping chairs† of excitement and instantly â€Å"shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron† (69). He will then cross another threshold in Diagon Alley where he encounters â€Å"dragon liver† and the â€Å"Gringotts† (72). The last threshold crossed is at Platform 9  ¾ with a fellow wizard family named the Weasleys into the wizarding world. This is when Harry meets a young boy named Ronald, a pureblood. Harry and Ronald descend from magic from both of parents which causes them to bond on the eleven o’clock train to Hogwarts. The fifth and final step of the first stage is the belly of the whale. The belly of the whale is the heros final step before entering the real calling; it is represented in the novel when Harry is faced with the sorting hat. He is nervous because he could be sorted into the house of Slytherin, the house of evil. Inside his head he chants, à ¢â‚¬Å"not Slytherin, not Slytherin† in which the hat responds by giving into his choice (121). By ultimately choosing Griffindor , the room gave â€Å"the loudest cheer yet† (121). This shows his test in character and at this point Harry leaves the muggle world and enters the unknown. The second stage of Joseph Cambell’s seventeen-stage monomyth is initiation with seven steps: road of trials, meeting the goddess, temptation, atonement with the father, apostasis, the ultimate boon, and the refusal of return. This is usually the longest, most eventful, and entertaining stage of Cambell’s monomyth. The road of trials are tests given the hero to complete in order to transform. Harry is faced with many minor problems within his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but one of his major road of trials is an evil, â€Å"foul smelling† troll (174). Inexperienced in magic, he uses it anyway in order to rescue his friend he accidentally traps, Hermione. This is when he becomes closer to Ron and Hermione and a long friendship blooms. Another is thinking that Professor Snape is the thief behind the sorcerers stone. By focusing on Professor Snape, Harry overlooks the real traitor of Hogwarts. Meeting the goddess affects the hero by havi ng them feel eternal love. This step is sometimes represented by a mother figure. Lily, Harry’s mother, sacrificed her life for her son against Lord Voldemort. Even after her death she continues to protect her son with the scar given to him as a baby. Each time Voldemort is near, the scar burns as a warning. During the battle against Quirrel and Lord Voldemort, Quirrell could not touch Harry, his hands â€Å"looked burned, raw, red, and shiny,† due to the love of Harry’s mother (295). Lily died to save him. Temptations are defined as an object given to the hero to stray from his goal. An invisible cloak, from his father allows Harry to travel the school without being seen. One night over winter break he locates the Mirror of Erised, an ancient mirror that shows onlookers â€Å"‘the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts’† (213). While looking into the mirror, Harry sees people who are not located in the room. A woman who has â€Å"dark red hair† and eyes just like himself peers through the mirror along with other familiar faces (208). Potter realizes that these people are his dead family. This image that he desires keeps him coming back to the mirror each night for about a week. The Mirror of Erised is known as Harry’s temptation because the visits stray him from his goal of finding out who stole the sorcerers stone. The atonement of the father occurs when the hero confronts the object that holds the most power over his life. Although Voldemort is not a father figure, Harry needs to defeat him in order to turn a new stone in his life. Voldemort can be classified as a ruler within the twelve common archetypes because he believes power is the only aspect of life. With Voldemort having been vanquished, Harry discovers the corrupt world. The apostate is when the hero dies a death, physically or in spirit, and moves him beyond basic knowledge. This is represented when a hero enters a godlike stage. During the last chapter, Potter wakes up in a hospital bed, unknowing where the stone is. Dumbledore assures him that the stone â€Å"has been destroyed† (297). He now knows what it is like to be a good wizard because he experienced and handled danger. A weight has been lifted from his shoulders as he enters the end-of-term feast. The ultimate boon within the novel actually happens before the apostate. The ultimate boon is the achievement of the goal. Lord Voldemort, Quirrell, and Harry battle over the sorcerers stone. Potter wants to preserve the stone while Voldemort wants to use it for his own advantage to acquire a body and be separate from Quirrell. All of Harry’s training has led up to this battle. The refusal of return is when the hero finds enlightenment and does not want to go back to their everyday life. Surprisingly, this occurs on the last page of the novel. Harry does not want to return back to the Dursleys at Privet Drive because he feels at home at Hogwarts. M oreover, he knows the Dursleys are going to outcast him once again. During the second stage of Cambell’s monomyth, the hero learns the most about himself and his new world. The hero is grasping his new self through many steps and trials. Furthermore, the third stage and final of Joseph Cambell’s seventeen-stage monomyth is the return. This stage has five steps, magic flight, rescue from without, crossing the return threshold, master of two worlds, and the freedom to live. The novel changes the numerical order of the last stage quite a lot. The magic flight is known as the hero’s escape with the boon. Potter exhibits this step by returning back to the Muggle World. Harry knows his life will be dreary once again at Privet Drive. Ron invites him to â€Å"come and stay† the summer (308). He shows gratitude towards Ron’s offer, although with a somber attitude. The rescue from without is often a guide that brings the hero back to ordinary life. Within Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, Albus Dumbledore acts as a guide to Harry. Almost instantly before Quirrell can kill Harry, Dumbledore saves him. Although Dumbledore does not bring Potter back to the Muggle World, he brings him back to safety . Crossing the return threshold is known as returning to their life before their adventure, while the master of two worlds is balancing the hero’s inner and outer world. Within the first Harry Potter novel, one might say that these two monomyth steps are actually conjoined. During the last chapter, Harry travels along the train from Hogwarts to â€Å"the gateway back to the Muggle World† (308). This is known as crossing the threshold, but the book ultimately stops there. Readers can infer that in the last chapter, the master of two worlds comes into play as Potter acknowledges he is going to â€Å"have a lot of fun with Dudley† over the summer because he will use magic within the Muggle World (309). The hero’s freedom to live is the final step of the monomyth. The hero now has no fear of death because their journey has made them courageous. Although Potter’s home is the Dursleys, he looks forward to returning back to Hogwarts. This gives him a sens e of happiness which he has never felt at home before. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone is only the first novel in a seven-part series, but Harry Potter’s heroic journey is the most important in this text alone. Joseph Cambell’s seventeen step monomyth is clearly shown throughout Harry’s adventure. This book shows Potter’s adventure through a new world that he must disregard everything he previously knows. He learns new skills through supernatural aids and roads of trials that ultimately lead up to his battle with Voldemort. The monomyth in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone paves the way for the future novels. Readers can see Harry’s life before magic and gain inside information on his character. The novel is the primal step to his new life. A Review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, a Novel by J. K. Rowling A Review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, a Novel by J. K. Rowling The Man, The Myth, The Hero The novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, written by J. K. Rowling is the first book in a seven-part series. Harry Potter’s heroic journey through the Muggle World into the Wizarding World shows a growth in himself and his mind. Potter follows the stages introduced by Joseph Campbells Monomyth, learning new wizarding skills and challenging himself. Harry demonstrates the three stages; separation, initiation, and return, which are then divided into seventeen steps. Harry Potter’s heroic journey can be traced by readers throughout the novel. The first stage of Joseph Cambell’s seventeen stage monomyth is separation, with five steps: call to adventure, refusal of call, supernatural aid, crossing the threshold, and belly of the whale. The call to adventure is the original alarm given to the hero, taking him from normality into an unknown trip. Harry Potter lives with his uncle, aunt, and cousin who hide from Harry that he is a wizard. His uncle, Mr. Dursley, shows characteristics of the ruler archetype by trying to have the most successful family. He displays his force through constantly nagging Potter. Dursley takes drastic measures to keep the letters that Harry has been admitted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry unopened, like moving the family of four out to a secret shack. The first two steps in Joseph Cambell’s monomyth are actually switched because oddly enough, the refusal of call is not done by Potter himself, but by his own uncle before the call to adventure. The refusal of the call is when the hero objects to the undertaking. Fortunately Mr. Durley could not keep the mail a secret and Potter ends up receiving a letter that he is admitted to Hogwarts School. Harry seems excited and ready to explore the magical world. A supernatural aid is often a figure who guides the hero through his new journey. Harry’s supernatural aid is a â€Å"giant of a man† who delivers the letter on Potter’s eleventh birthday, Rubeus Hagrid (Rowling 46). Hagrid can be classified as an explorer in the twelve common archetypes. The motto that the explorer exhibits is â€Å"don’t fence me in† (Golden 3). Throughout the book, he likes to live alone and barbarically as keeper of the grounds. Hagrid first introduces Harry to the wizardry world and helps him and his friends decipher the Sorcerers Stone. In the next step Harry crosses the threshold by leaving the behind his world of normality for a foreign experience. This is done by Potter at the â€Å"famous † Leaky Cauldron with Hagrid (Rowling 68). Potter is greeted with â€Å"scraping chairs† of excitement and instantly â€Å"shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron† (69). He will then cross another threshold in Diagon Alley where he encounters â€Å"dragon liver† and the â€Å"Gringotts† (72). The last threshold crossed is at Platform 9  ¾ with a fellow wizard family named the Weasleys into the wizarding world. This is when Harry meets a young boy named Ronald, a pureblood. Harry and Ronald descend from magic from both of parents which causes them to bond on the eleven o’clock train to Hogwarts. The fifth and final step of the first stage is the belly of the whale. The belly of the whale is the heros final step before entering the real calling; it is represented in the novel when Harry is faced with the sorting hat. He is nervous because he could be sorted into the house of Slytherin, the house of evil. Inside his head he chants, à ¢â‚¬Å"not Slytherin, not Slytherin† in which the hat responds by giving into his choice (121). By ultimately choosing Griffindor , the room gave â€Å"the loudest cheer yet† (121). This shows his test in character and at this point Harry leaves the muggle world and enters the unknown. The second stage of Joseph Cambell’s seventeen-stage monomyth is initiation with seven steps: road of trials, meeting the goddess, temptation, atonement with the father, apostasis, the ultimate boon, and the refusal of return. This is usually the longest, most eventful, and entertaining stage of Cambell’s monomyth. The road of trials are tests given the hero to complete in order to transform. Harry is faced with many minor problems within his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but one of his major road of trials is an evil, â€Å"foul smelling† troll (174). Inexperienced in magic, he uses it anyway in order to rescue his friend he accidentally traps, Hermione. This is when he becomes closer to Ron and Hermione and a long friendship blooms. Another is thinking that Professor Snape is the thief behind the sorcerers stone. By focusing on Professor Snape, Harry overlooks the real traitor of Hogwarts. Meeting the goddess affects the hero by havi ng them feel eternal love. This step is sometimes represented by a mother figure. Lily, Harry’s mother, sacrificed her life for her son against Lord Voldemort. Even after her death she continues to protect her son with the scar given to him as a baby. Each time Voldemort is near, the scar burns as a warning. During the battle against Quirrel and Lord Voldemort, Quirrell could not touch Harry, his hands â€Å"looked burned, raw, red, and shiny,† due to the love of Harry’s mother (295). Lily died to save him. Temptations are defined as an object given to the hero to stray from his goal. An invisible cloak, from his father allows Harry to travel the school without being seen. One night over winter break he locates the Mirror of Erised, an ancient mirror that shows onlookers â€Å"‘the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts’† (213). While looking into the mirror, Harry sees people who are not located in the room. A woman who has â€Å"dark red hair† and eyes just like himself peers through the mirror along with other familiar faces (208). Potter realizes that these people are his dead family. This image that he desires keeps him coming back to the mirror each night for about a week. The Mirror of Erised is known as Harry’s temptation because the visits stray him from his goal of finding out who stole the sorcerers stone. The atonement of the father occurs when the hero confronts the object that holds the most power over his life. Although Voldemort is not a father figure, Harry needs to defeat him in order to turn a new stone in his life. Voldemort can be classified as a ruler within the twelve common archetypes because he believes power is the only aspect of life. With Voldemort having been vanquished, Harry discovers the corrupt world. The apostate is when the hero dies a death, physically or in spirit, and moves him beyond basic knowledge. This is represented when a hero enters a godlike stage. During the last chapter, Potter wakes up in a hospital bed, unknowing where the stone is. Dumbledore assures him that the stone â€Å"has been destroyed† (297). He now knows what it is like to be a good wizard because he experienced and handled danger. A weight has been lifted from his shoulders as he enters the end-of-term feast. The ultimate boon within the novel actually happens before the apostate. The ultimate boon is the achievement of the goal. Lord Voldemort, Quirrell, and Harry battle over the sorcerers stone. Potter wants to preserve the stone while Voldemort wants to use it for his own advantage to acquire a body and be separate from Quirrell. All of Harry’s training has led up to this battle. The refusal of return is when the hero finds enlightenment and does not want to go back to their everyday life. Surprisingly, this occurs on the last page of the novel. Harry does not want to return back to the Dursleys at Privet Drive because he feels at home at Hogwarts. M oreover, he knows the Dursleys are going to outcast him once again. During the second stage of Cambell’s monomyth, the hero learns the most about himself and his new world. The hero is grasping his new self through many steps and trials. Furthermore, the third stage and final of Joseph Cambell’s seventeen-stage monomyth is the return. This stage has five steps, magic flight, rescue from without, crossing the return threshold, master of two worlds, and the freedom to live. The novel changes the numerical order of the last stage quite a lot. The magic flight is known as the hero’s escape with the boon. Potter exhibits this step by returning back to the Muggle World. Harry knows his life will be dreary once again at Privet Drive. Ron invites him to â€Å"come and stay† the summer (308). He shows gratitude towards Ron’s offer, although with a somber attitude. The rescue from without is often a guide that brings the hero back to ordinary life. Within Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, Albus Dumbledore acts as a guide to Harry. Almost instantly before Quirrell can kill Harry, Dumbledore saves him. Although Dumbledore does not bring Potter back to the Muggle World, he brings him back to safety . Crossing the return threshold is known as returning to their life before their adventure, while the master of two worlds is balancing the hero’s inner and outer world. Within the first Harry Potter novel, one might say that these two monomyth steps are actually conjoined. During the last chapter, Harry travels along the train from Hogwarts to â€Å"the gateway back to the Muggle World† (308). This is known as crossing the threshold, but the book ultimately stops there. Readers can infer that in the last chapter, the master of two worlds comes into play as Potter acknowledges he is going to â€Å"have a lot of fun with Dudley† over the summer because he will use magic within the Muggle World (309). The hero’s freedom to live is the final step of the monomyth. The hero now has no fear of death because their journey has made them courageous. Although Potter’s home is the Dursleys, he looks forward to returning back to Hogwarts. This gives him a sens e of happiness which he has never felt at home before. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone is only the first novel in a seven-part series, but Harry Potter’s heroic journey is the most important in this text alone. Joseph Cambell’s seventeen step monomyth is clearly shown throughout Harry’s adventure. This book shows Potter’s adventure through a new world that he must disregard everything he previously knows. He learns new skills through supernatural aids and roads of trials that ultimately lead up to his battle with Voldemort. The monomyth in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone paves the way for the future novels. Readers can see Harry’s life before magic and gain inside information on his character. The novel is the primal step to his new life.

The Notebook Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Notebook - Research Paper Example This particular scene, â€Å"It’s Not Over,† appears in the second half of the film and again is on the water, a realistic setting. The couple, Noah and Allie, has been separated for seven years, but now they are reunited and spend an emotional weekend reacquainting themselves with the reasons they fell in love years ago and discovering the twists in events that have kept them apart. The water is not red this time, nor is the water calm, but choppy and the wind blows through young Allie’s hair. It begins to rain and she tries to protect herself with a dish towel, which clearly isn’t going to help as the rain becomes a torrent. Noah laughs at her flimsy attempt to protect herself from the downpour. As in the opening scene of the film, in â€Å"It’s Not Over,† there are the elements of a rowboat and a lake. In the opening scene, however, the waters are peaceful, suggesting a calm situation, for now. The general coloring of the film’s opening scene is in red tones, suggesting that the calm and peace is not meant to last, but that the characters will experience turbulence at some point. In the film’s opening, the adult Noah, played by James Garner, is rowing the boat on the red, but calm waters. The red color cast on the water is also used later in some of the clothing worn by Allie. As the film unfolds, we learn that the color red is symbolic of Allie’s very passionate nature which strongly impacts their relationship. The reunited lovers are happy on the water, but as the storm ensues and they reach the dock, unexpressed emotions gush forth and Allie asks Noah why he never wrote to her. The sky is dark and windy, and the lovers becoming soaked. The weather’s elements all invoke the emotional climax of the scene. We see in the scene’s tranquil beginning, the lovers in their boat. It is across the lake from the camera, a widescreen shot showing the characters in

Business Organizations; Employment Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Organizations; Employment Law - Essay Example adequate oversight of the accountants was lacking, presence of conflict of interest by the stock analysts, inadequate funding of the Securities and Exchange Commission, lack of adequate disclosure of provisions and presence of corporate governance procedures that were weak. It has been argued that Adelphia’s acts, especially the move by the Rigas family of mixing the finances of the company with those of the company, represents one of the biggest cases of financial fraud in a publicly traded company. In 2004, the SEC filed suit against Adelphia Communications Corporations on charges of financial fraud. In a legal move labelled as the most comprehensive in financial fraud, members of the Rigas family were indicted together with a number of top executives. The charges included-corporate asset waste, RICO act violation, abuse of control, fraudulent conversion and conveyance of company assets, breach of fiduciary duties by the board of directors, and unjust enrichment by the management. The Adelphia Communications case, is one of the biggest cases of corporate malfeasance and has been responsible for the adoption of new business ethics and practices across the globe. Following the scandal, many companies across the globe have adopted stringent corporate codes of conduct, while governments have adopted greater measures to punish management staff from defrauding companies by sentencing guilty parties to life sentences and imposing hefty fines. Improvement and reform of corporate law has been mandated following the scandal. For example, the Corporate Reform Act 2002 empowers the SEC to promulgate professional codes of conduct for securities lawyers. It mandates securities lawyers to prevent violations of securities law by companies or a company employee breaching his/her fiduciary duty to shareholders. Additionally, the society in general has become more vigilant regarding the workings of corporate management and

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 115

Case Study Example ounder of the company, Robert Stephens, started the company with only $200 after realizing the need for the use of technological equipment and machines and the challenges in operating such machines. Most of the people complained that the manuals for the equipment took a long time to read and they could not understand the instructions (Kerin 47). Stephens took advantage of this gap in the market and established the company to help the population manage their equipment, and at standardized cost. There exists the problem of competition that faces the Geek Squad Company due to the changes in the environment. There is also a lot of technology improvement in the market, an aspect that has created the need for more and specialized maintenance of the equipment provided to customers. The key environmental factors that contributed to the start of the Geek Company is the presence of customers who could not understand nor cope up with the technology present in the various equipment they purchased. Stephens took advantage of this gap to start up Geek Squad. The Best Buy Company purchased Geek Squad in 2002. The main factors that contributed to this purchase were the increasing awareness among the customers for the increasing importance of service (Kerin 52). The customers were so happy when they bought items at Best Buy but they soon returned them and demanded for a refund since they could not efficiently operate the equipment. This was the case especially for the women who expected personal services during and after the service, and especially for installation purposes. As such, Geek Squad should have consideration for the trends likely to affect the business in the future. There is increasing technology that will make consumer electronics more complicated (Kerin 54). More people will want to purchase one of the electronics, and this will increase the demand for the services of Geek Squad but lower the costs of maintenance of the equipment. However, there will be an

Homework Assignment for Finance Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Homework for Finance - Assignment Example Sooner than later, they will be expecting their first born and as such, they need to start accumulating sufficient amount in savings that can handle emergency situations. It is also apparent that the family car was acquired through a loan. They should therefore pay the debts within the first five years. Having formed a family, Sam and Judy would be expecting children and as such, they should commence saving for their children education. More so, as a young couple, the two should immediately join a retirement plan that could secure their future after retirement. Moreover, they should engage in various forms of investments to enhance their cash flow patterns while at the same time managing taxes properly to avoid hefty fines and penalties in future which could adversely affect them. Asset financing: This form of credit involves financing by a financial institution whereby both the asset is jointly owned by the bank and the purchaser. The purchaser will be required to make initial payments as agreed with the bank after which monthly installments are made based on the agreed terms. The rights to the property are transferred upon completion of installment payment. Hire purchase: Similar to asset financing, the couple will be expected to make a down payment and subsequently pay the remaining balance in agreed installments after which the asset is transferred to the purchaser. Official clothes: The couple should prioritize in buying official clothes for use while going to work. This is because most workplace has a code of dressing which every employee must comply with. Borrowing from friends is the most appropriate form of credit for financing purchase of official clothes since the clothes are not too expensive and secondly this form of financing is interest free. Camera and Television: These are leisure items which the couple can arrange to acquire later through hire-purchase. This form of credit is

Palestinian-Civil Right Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Palestinian-Civil Right Movement - Essay Example This has led to generation of various conflicts between these two states. Most of the conflict result to too many of the civilians suffering and mainly there is large displacement of civilian population. This has led major resistance and boycott of Israel product. These resistances in Palestine state are known as the Intifada. Generally, there is the first, second, and the green intifada. There has been major intifada that come with effects to these two countries (Alimi 80-90). This paper seeks to focus on Palestinian civil right movement, intifada. The first Palestinian intifada took a period of six years. It began in 1987 to 1993. This was after a 20-year occupation of Israel in Arab states. What agitated this form of resistance was due to Israel occupation of their ancestral habitat and a protracted military brutality (Lockman and Beinin 396). The Palestine perceived the occupation of Jews in this state as a lowering of their human dignity. This felt the occupation of their homela nd as a form of apartheid experienced in other parts of the world. The stabbing of Israel citizen by a Palestinian and a fatal accident that killed four occupants of Jabalya refugee camp which led to Palestinian to see it as a form of vengeance also necessitated this uprising. This form of resistance against the Israel started in the region of Gaza and West Bank. It was at this time the effects of intifada became prominent. This uprising was due to various hearsay and rumors perpetuated by the Muslim religious leaders. This form of resistance was well coordinated and had a national appeal. The first intifada was characterized by peaceful violence, civil disobedience and some form of resistance. Other form of strikes, barriers, tax evasion, drawing of criticism and avoidance of Israel commodities characterized this resistance. Due to its national appeal, majority of the civilians bombarded the Israel military with stones, grenades and various form of crude weapons killing and woundin g the Israel soldier and civilians. Some of the Palestinians who were perceived to be collaborating with Israel were also lynched. This form of uprising caught Israel troops napping, as they were not prepared to a war of such magnitude. This uprising kept on being fuelled by rumors from Palestinian leaders (Nassar 180-197). Additionally, there was the second intifada that started in the year 2000. This intifada lasted for a period of five years. The second intifada was similar to the first intifada. It was a continuous struggle by Palestinian against the occupation of their land and various form of brutality experienced at the hands of the Israel soldiers. However, Israel has linked this form of civil disobedience and violence to the act of terrorism. This period was characterized mainly by protest, strikes, and attacks on Israel soldier. Moreover, it was characterized by the emergence of suicide bombers and hence the numbers of casualties were more than the first intifada. Israel r esponse was by use of curfews, infrastructural attack on Palestine and several checkpoints. This uprising culminated into the Oslo pact and some stability was restored (Carey 115-125). In addition, there was the green intifada whereby Palestinian resisted the occupation of their homeland by planting trees especially the olive trees. Olive trees are major contributor to Palestine economy. However, Israel

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 115

Case Study Example ounder of the company, Robert Stephens, started the company with only $200 after realizing the need for the use of technological equipment and machines and the challenges in operating such machines. Most of the people complained that the manuals for the equipment took a long time to read and they could not understand the instructions (Kerin 47). Stephens took advantage of this gap in the market and established the company to help the population manage their equipment, and at standardized cost. There exists the problem of competition that faces the Geek Squad Company due to the changes in the environment. There is also a lot of technology improvement in the market, an aspect that has created the need for more and specialized maintenance of the equipment provided to customers. The key environmental factors that contributed to the start of the Geek Company is the presence of customers who could not understand nor cope up with the technology present in the various equipment they purchased. Stephens took advantage of this gap to start up Geek Squad. The Best Buy Company purchased Geek Squad in 2002. The main factors that contributed to this purchase were the increasing awareness among the customers for the increasing importance of service (Kerin 52). The customers were so happy when they bought items at Best Buy but they soon returned them and demanded for a refund since they could not efficiently operate the equipment. This was the case especially for the women who expected personal services during and after the service, and especially for installation purposes. As such, Geek Squad should have consideration for the trends likely to affect the business in the future. There is increasing technology that will make consumer electronics more complicated (Kerin 54). More people will want to purchase one of the electronics, and this will increase the demand for the services of Geek Squad but lower the costs of maintenance of the equipment. However, there will be an

Palestinian-Civil Right Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Palestinian-Civil Right Movement - Essay Example This has led to generation of various conflicts between these two states. Most of the conflict result to too many of the civilians suffering and mainly there is large displacement of civilian population. This has led major resistance and boycott of Israel product. These resistances in Palestine state are known as the Intifada. Generally, there is the first, second, and the green intifada. There has been major intifada that come with effects to these two countries (Alimi 80-90). This paper seeks to focus on Palestinian civil right movement, intifada. The first Palestinian intifada took a period of six years. It began in 1987 to 1993. This was after a 20-year occupation of Israel in Arab states. What agitated this form of resistance was due to Israel occupation of their ancestral habitat and a protracted military brutality (Lockman and Beinin 396). The Palestine perceived the occupation of Jews in this state as a lowering of their human dignity. This felt the occupation of their homela nd as a form of apartheid experienced in other parts of the world. The stabbing of Israel citizen by a Palestinian and a fatal accident that killed four occupants of Jabalya refugee camp which led to Palestinian to see it as a form of vengeance also necessitated this uprising. This form of resistance against the Israel started in the region of Gaza and West Bank. It was at this time the effects of intifada became prominent. This uprising was due to various hearsay and rumors perpetuated by the Muslim religious leaders. This form of resistance was well coordinated and had a national appeal. The first intifada was characterized by peaceful violence, civil disobedience and some form of resistance. Other form of strikes, barriers, tax evasion, drawing of criticism and avoidance of Israel commodities characterized this resistance. Due to its national appeal, majority of the civilians bombarded the Israel military with stones, grenades and various form of crude weapons killing and woundin g the Israel soldier and civilians. Some of the Palestinians who were perceived to be collaborating with Israel were also lynched. This form of uprising caught Israel troops napping, as they were not prepared to a war of such magnitude. This uprising kept on being fuelled by rumors from Palestinian leaders (Nassar 180-197). Additionally, there was the second intifada that started in the year 2000. This intifada lasted for a period of five years. The second intifada was similar to the first intifada. It was a continuous struggle by Palestinian against the occupation of their land and various form of brutality experienced at the hands of the Israel soldiers. However, Israel has linked this form of civil disobedience and violence to the act of terrorism. This period was characterized mainly by protest, strikes, and attacks on Israel soldier. Moreover, it was characterized by the emergence of suicide bombers and hence the numbers of casualties were more than the first intifada. Israel r esponse was by use of curfews, infrastructural attack on Palestine and several checkpoints. This uprising culminated into the Oslo pact and some stability was restored (Carey 115-125). In addition, there was the green intifada whereby Palestinian resisted the occupation of their homeland by planting trees especially the olive trees. Olive trees are major contributor to Palestine economy. However, Israel

How the Role of Women Has Changed Essay Example for Free

How the Role of Women Has Changed Essay How much has the role of women changed in the last 30 years? Since the introduction of the pill on the NHS and the equal pay act we have seen massive changes in how women are viewed in society. In this essay I will be looking at how these have changed societies views and how they have affected women. I want to research this topic as I believe that there has been great leaps forward in how women are able to live and how this is now affecting the rest of the world. I will be analysing some of the recent changes in polices and attitudes that have taken place that have allowed women to become more productive members in the professional working environment. Over the last 30 years of feminism we have seen women shaking off the stereo typical attitude of females being second class citizens. Women are now able to go into higher education and thus allowing them showing great determination, will power, stamina and courage to apply and take on the role of many high powered jobs that were once only seen as a job for males. And now women have greater opportunities than ever before. But they are showing a lower sense off well being this seems to come as quite a shock as women have managed to liberate theme self’s from the traditional view.(http://www.dailymail.co.uk) Women have never had so much equity that they have now and we are now seeing female miners ,doctors and dentist which shows that they can get on any single job that they want. Women are still able to have children some as much two or three and are still managing to keep up a balance of family and work life.(http://www.dailymail.co.uk) The introduction of the pill has had the biggest social and family impact that has been seen in our time. When it was first introduced the government was not happy about providing it to all women as they did not want to be seen to promote promiscuity so they mainly issued it to older women who already had children and did not want to have any more. But in a controversial move in 1974 saw family planning clinics give the pill out to single women which made it a lot easer for theme to decide if they wanted to have children. It is now estimated that two million women in England and Wales take the pill and 70% of all women have at some stage been prescribed the pill.( http://www.bbc.co.uk)This was revolutionary for women at the time now they have a greater freedom than ever before. Women could now decide when they got pregnant which means they could go on to higher education and become a career woman not just a mother and house wife. The introduction of the Equal Pay Act 1970 ,now the Equity Act 2010, was supposed to close the gap on the amount that men got paid compared to women for doing the same job. But recent statistics show that men still earn more in 370 out of 426 job classification than women who earn more in only 53 job classifications. Ruth Sealy, Deputy director of the International Centre for Women Leaders at Cranford University said â€Å"it’s appalling how can this be when we have equality laws?†(http://www.guardian.co.uk) The government has made a decision to change one of it’s polices in the Equality Act that would have made companies disclose the percentage of pay differences between men and women by 2013 .Sealy believes that this policy is responsible for the 2 % decline in the pay gap between men and women in 2011 and now it is not in place the pay gap may start to increase again.(http://www.guardian.co.uk) Although this dose sound like the Equality Act is not working as it was intended to there is light at the end of tunnel. Lord Davies independent review into woman on boards has given Britain’s 100 biggest companies until 2015 to increase the amount of women who sit on boards from 12.5% to 25%. There has already been a marked improvement since the report has been published the figures have went up by 2.5% to 15% Lord Davies said† this is amazing progress†. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Family life has changed over the last 30 years we are now seeing more women going into work which means that there are now two incomes coming into the family home and people are now living better that they once did. Women are now living like men once did they are going out to work meeting new people and enjoying a social life away from the husband. And it seems that men are staying at home and spend more time with the children.(http://www.guardian.co.uk) A recent study carried out by the Equal Opportunities Commission found that 69% agreed that there life’s are becoming more similar in rearguards to how much time they can spend between work and family life. Now women are spending more time at work it means that they have to rush home to see the children before bed time or to care for a relative. Due to this change people are becoming more worried about family life how is it going to turn out if this sexual revaluation is going to continue we will need to start looking at the policy that are in place for the elderly and disabled so we can give them more of a say on how they want to live if the availability of family care is going to reduce.(http://www.guardian.co.uk) Women have moved dramatically forward in the last 30 years there have been so many changes in the attitudes of society that have enabled women to feel more empowered about the choices that they can make in their own life. The attitude that people have towards women is far from the typical attitude that people had in regards what role women should take on as they are no longer expected to be the house wife or the mum. Women are now becoming professionals and are now sitting on the boards of some of the most powerful companies in the world. This is all great but how is this affecting the way in which parents bring up families if men and women are now living similar life’s how will be able to bring up our family and give the parental support to the children if both the parents are out trying to promote there careers. If this is going to continue people will need to start thinking about the future of family life. We will have to find a way in which family’s will be able to function at a normal level and still be able to support women to carry on and progress even further. Is it going to be a case some fifty years down the line that the gender revaluation has went so far that the roles of men and women will have completely turned around. Our will the gender revaluation reach a point where both sexes are able to work and provide a healthy family life. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15984258 (Date accessed 20/03/2012) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1189894/Women-happy-years-ago-.html (Date accessed 25/03/2012) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1189856/M-S-boss-Stuart-Rose-Glass-ceiling-Women-good-workplace.html (Date accessed 02/04/2012) http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/08/four-decades-on-equal-pay-yet-to-come (Date accessed 03/04/2012) http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/nov/23/equality.socialcare ( Date accessed 04/04/2012) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/9090327/Lord-Davies-shakes-up-Britains-boardrooms.html (Date accessed 06/04/2012) Richard D. Gross (1994). Key Studies in Psychology. 2nd ed. London: Hodder And Stoughton. 100.

The Subjective Theory Of Truth Religion Essay

The Subjective Theory Of Truth Religion Essay According to the correspondence theory, if a statement corresponds to reality then it is considered to be truth (Hardy 32). Because there are three other truth theories, many have the wrong idea regarding what truth is and how one can know it. The three other truth theories are pragmatic, coherence, and subjective, and through the use of reason, one can determine which one is the most logical. To start, the subjective theory of truth discerns that the individual decides what is true and false based merely on his own personal desires. In other words, there is no such thing as absolute truth and what is true for you might not be true for me (Hardy 38). Absolute truth is simply the concept that there is a universal truth or a set of truths that exist and concern everyone (Hardy 40). In 2001, a study was done to determine how many Americans actually believe in absolute truth, and the result was only 38% (B.A. Robinson). Therefore 62% of Americans believe relativism in regards to reality, ethics, and even pluralism. However, behind every subjective truth, there is at least one absolute truth that can be discerned (Hardy 40). In any given situation, opinions can form, but there has to be at least one essential truth in order for those opinions to appear. For example, if there is a car accident and witnesses must tell their versions of what occurred, each person might retell the events that caused the accident a little bit differently. However, the one underlying absolute truth is that the accident did occur. In regards to moral relativism, in order for someone to say that something is good or evil, or, right or wrong, then he or she has to make an absolute truth claim. Under what standard is something immoral? If truth is relative, then one can follow their own standards and desires in regards to morality and there is no reason to argue at all. The moral implications of relativism also allude to placing the individual above God and rejecting His sovereignty. Furthermore, one can not say that someone is wrong unless that person knows what right is (Hardy, 40-41). According to Stand Your Ground by Dean Hardy, the irony of relativism is that it is completely self-defeating. Relativism cannot even pass its own test for truth (Hardy 40). In regards to the material reality, there are many ways to logically prove the subjective theory false. For example if someone declares that truth is relative, all one has to do in reply is question whether or not that is an absolute truth (Hardy 41). Therefore, it is evident that all truth claims are not inclusive. Truth must be exclusive, absolute and narrow, for an attempt to include everyone will never work (Hardy 40-41). Truth is also trans-cultural, and it is discovered not invented. Also, just because someone believes in something with all of his heart and deepest convictions, that doesnt make his belief true. This leads us into the discussion of pluralism and how all religions can not be true (Hardy 41). Pluralists argue in the analogy of the six blind men and the elephant that all six major religions have a piece of the truth but are unable to see the big picture. According to this way of thinking, if all six religions have a piece of the truth then they are all true. However, in making this claim, the pluralist has to know the whole truth. Underneath all of the subjective truths, there is still one elephant that represents absolute truth: that there is one true religion. Therefore, in using this analogy, pluralists claim the opposite of what they teach: that there has to be only one spiritual and religious path. If one is to discern whether or not pluralism is true based on a logical standpoint, then one can show that all six major religions teach opposites. In Christianity, for example, salvation is achieved by faith alone in Christ alone. However in Hinduism, one achieves salvation by overcoming reincarnation with good works. The two cant both be true (Hardy 39). Should we be skeptical about everything? Lord Byron once said In short, I deny nothing, but doubt everything. The question of whether or not reality is an illusion certainly harps at the hearts of many. The ideologies of skepticism, idealism and realism present ways to answer the question of metaphysics and how one knows what is truly real. We should most definitely not be skeptical about everything, for it is evident that there is both a material and spiritual reality. There is most definitely a difference between the physical existence of a chair in the outside world and the immaterial existence of a chair inside ones mind. The two both share the same essence, for they both have legs, a back and a seat for one to sit on. However, the two differ with existence, for one is physically real and the other is not (Hardy 17). In this situation, an idealist would believe that the only real chair would be the chair fabricated in his mind. Therefore, the idea of the chair is more real than the chair itself. A skeptic, however, would simply doubt the ability to prove that a chair existed at all. According to the skeptic, ones senses are faulty (Hardy 18). Because I am a realist, I firmly believe that the computer I used to type this paper is real and so are the ideas that I have formulated in my mind. Even though one can not prove everything with 100% certainty, it is still probable that anything can still exist as real. For example, one cant prove with 100% certainty that Christianity is real (Hardy 3). Although there are logical conclusions and arguments to prove Christianity to be true, there is always room for faith. One can not go back in time and physically prove that Jesus existed, and this is why there is room for faith (Hardy 3). However, one can know anything with 100% certainty. In regards to mathematics, one can know that the equation 2+2 will always equal 4. This is real and one can know it for certain (Hardy 15-16). Dean Hardy states in Stand Your Ground that if we could not be sure if our statements and ideas correspond to a real thing, then there could be no such thing as truth or knowledge (Hardy 19). So even though i t is in our human nature to doubt things, such as Lord Byron did in the statement above, that doesnt mean that no knowledge is absolute or that, nothing is real. I dont think that there is a God, is there any proof that He exists? There are three main arguments that are used to prove Gods existence. They are the cosmological, teleological and moral arguments. Each argument starts with certain presuppositions and then leads one into understanding that there must be an infinite God who exists outside of the universe. My favorite is the teleological argument because it proves that there must be a God based on the knowledge that the universe is intelligently designed. The logical syllogism is as follows: Everything that has design has a designer. The universe has design; therefore the universe must have a Designer (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 20). In using the rules of logic and argumentation found in Stand Your Ground, this is a categorical syllogism where the conclusion of the argument is both true and valid (Hardy 57-60). To start, there are many ways to prove that the universe has design. One of the most famous illustrations of this utilizes the concept of a watch and a watchmaker. In reality, a watch is comprised of natural elements from the universe. However, a watch has never just randomly formed out in nature. Even if one were to line up all of the essential parts of the watch together outside, one would know that the only way a watch could function is if someone intelligently constructed its parts together, and nature cant do that! Therefore it is safe to say that nature randomizes and intelligence organizes (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 20). In addition, many use the study of the anthropic principle to further conclude that the universe must have a designer. The anthropic principle mandates that our universe is designed so that even subtle changes in its atmosphere, oxygen or carbon dioxide levels would cause drastic results. One such example is that the oxygen level must comprise approximately 21% our atmosphere. If it was only 15% all life would suffocate and if it was 25% all life would burn (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 20). Also, never before has a scientist been able to construct a living cell, for it contains nearly 1,000 volumes of encyclopedic information (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 20)! Furthermore, the concept of specified complexity serves to prove that chance can not order the universe. In Apologetics class, the example of a group of monkeys typing a work of Shakespeare proves this point, for although they were given long periods of time to sit in front of a computer screen with a work of Shakespeare beside them, none of them were able to type a complete work. This proves that time added to chance will not equal order or even design. The point of this serves to prove that the chance of the universe creating itself is not only illogical but completely unsound (Hardy 90-91). In order to prove that the Designer from th e teleological argument is the God of Christianity, the other three arguments need to be used to correspond with the Bibles teachings (Hardy 100). Is the Bible merely mythical stories? Many unbelievers feel that the Bible is a book of mythical stories and that its teachings are ultimately false and insubstantial. However, even though I agree to some extent that the Bible includes both literal and figurative stories, I would still argue that the Bible is inspired or God-breathed (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 3). As 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. First and foremost, the Bible is a historical book, which can be verified by past secular historical events. For example, the New Testament book Acts and the Old Testament books of Joshua, Ruth, Chronicles and 1st and 2nd Kings (just to name a few) are all deemed historical books and pertain to actual events that occurred in the past. Therefore, the whole Bible can not be deemed mythological (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 4). In addition, there are many non-Christian sources that can be used to verify the teachings of the Bible as accurate in correlation to events in history (Hardy 114). According to Stand Your Ground by Dean Hardy, there are more non-Christian sources that promote Christs existence than there are sources that discuss the existence of Emperor Tiberius Caesar Augustus during the 1st century (Hardy 117). Notable men including Roman historians Tacitus and Suetonis, the Roman governor Pliny the Younger and Jewish historian Josephus have all written accounts about the existence of not only Christ but also the truth to a lot of historical claims in the Bible (Hardy 116-118). Also, one of my favorite books of the Old Testament, Psalms, contains poetry. Even though one might argue that this book is mythological, I would refer back to how many of the verses in Psalms predict prophecy. For example, Psalm 22 predicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, how He was mocked on the cross and how many tempted Him to show that He was the one and only true God (Henson, Judaism 16). Above, I mentioned how many of the secular accounts confirming Christs existence give mention to His death under Pontius Pilate and His resurrection (Hardy 116-118).The statement above proves that the Bible is internally consistent, something that could not just be a compilation of random mythological stories. Lastly, to those who argue that the flood was a foolish myth, and that God did not start the first woman with a rib, Jesus Christ confirmed the validity of these events in the verses of Matthew 24:38 and Matthew 19:4-5 (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology, 3). In addition, it is very bold for one to claim that all 66 books of the Bible, written by 40 different authors, on 3 different continents in 3 different languages over a period of 1500 years, is completely mythical (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology, 4). Therefore, I believe that the book of the Bible is not a compilation of mythical stories. 5. Why must God be an infinite being? Why cant there be multiple Gods, and why cant God be limited? The common definition of the word infinite is having no limits (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 7). However, a more appropriate definition when describing Gods characteristics of omnipotence, omnibenevolence, omniscience, omnipresence, eternalness and immutableness is unlimited perfection (Hardy 75). God must be an infinite being because He is uncaused and outside of the universe. Because God is uncaused, nothing is causing Him to be and therefore He simply is who He is, or, He is pure actuality (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 7). If nothing is limiting God then God must be infinite and unable to lack (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 7). However, the concepts of deism, maltheism, and finite Godism support the notion that God is a finite being, or a being that is limited in perfection (Hardy 75) If God is a finite being, then something had to cause Him to be, and if God had a cause, then He cant be God. Therefore it is safe to say that one would have to regress back in time to find an infinite being, which would then be called God (Hardy 96-97). Deists claim that God created the world and everything in it, but then decided to let the world just run on its own. This implies that God is not omnipotent, for He lacks the ability to perform miracles, and that God is not omnibenevolent, for He lacks the ability to love and care for His creation (Hardy 78). In addition, Maltheists claim that God is evil, but if He is omnibenevolent, He doesnt have the potential to be evil. For God does not have the potential to be anything other than who He is, and that is an all-loving, good being (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 7). Lastly, finite Godists project the notion that God lacks and through the reason Ive given above, it is impossible for God to lack or else Hed be finite. In addition to Gods inability to lack, Polytheists argue that there are many finite Gods that rule the universe. However, it is true that something is distinguished by what it lacks rather than what it has. In order to distinguish these lesser gods apart, one would have to lack something the other god didnt have, and vice versa (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 7). If something lacks, then that something had a cause and therefore can not be the infinite God of the universe (Hardy 80). How do you know that the infinite being you believe in is the God of the Bible? According to Psalm 145:3, Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. There are many verses in the Bible that prove the infinite being who created the universe must be the God of Christianity. As mentioned before, God is omnipotent, omnibenevolent, omniscient, omnipresent, and immutable. He is also holy, relational, just, and righteous (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 8-9). To start, verse Matthew 19:26 states, Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.' This verse shows how God is an all powerful being, something that man could never be. Also, one can see Gods love for man in Romans 5:8, which states But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The Lord sent down His only son so that our sins could be forgiven and that we could have eternal life if we choose to come to know Him. Next, Psalm 139: 1-2 states, O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. This shows how God is all knowing. In addition, Gods omnipresence can be shown thorough verse Jeremiah 23:24 where the Lord questions, Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see himdo not I fill heaven and earth? Lastly, the God of Christianity is immutable, which means that He is unable to change (Henson, Introduc tion to Christian Theology 8). In Malachi 3:6, the Lord states, I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. These are just a few examples that describe how the God of the universe must be the God of Christianity. 7. If there is a God and He is omnipotent, omni benevolent, and omniscient, why is there evil? I mean, if He created everything, then didnt create evil? In order to understand this question, one should reference the beginning of Genesis when the Lord created both Adam and Eve. Genesis 2:16-17 states And the Lord God commanded the man, You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.' Here, the Lord gave Adam an ultimatum. He gave him the choice to obey or disobey and He later gave the same choice to Eve. Adam and Eve were created without original sin and therefore were perfect in the eyes of God. However, the Lord gave man the free will to commit sin by choosing evil. In the story of Genesis, the serpent was the tempter. He told Eve in Genesis 3:5 that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦God knows that when you eat of it you eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So now after reading this verse, the question becomes whether or not God created evil and if He did, why He created it. God did not create evil. However, God created a perfect world where only good existed, but because He gave man free will, evil came into the world (Hardy 106). When people think of evil, many think of tragedies, times of adversity, even murder, however, they do forget that evil is the lack of something, or as Thomas Aquinas called it, the privation of a thing (Hardy 106). Evil is the lack of anything good. In Stand Your Ground by Dean Hardy, the example of a bucket with a hole in it is considered to be evil for its opening causes it to lack (Hardy 106). When God created the world, He essentially had two choices: one was to create a world where everyone was forced to be obedient to Him and the other was to give all of man kind the option to worship Him or not (Hardy 107-108). To further explain, the fall of man, which was the result of Adam and Eves first sin, enabled us to distinguish good from evil by the standard which God created. One can use empiricism to deduce that the world we live in is full of suffering, disease, pain, wrath, and heartache (just to name a few.) However, in order to understand why an omnibenevolent, omnipotent, omniscient God would allow these things to enter the once perfect world, one has to understand the importance of Satan and Satans desires. In Mr. Hensons Christian Theology class I learned that Satan uses humans to accomplish his purposes, but God uses demons to accomplish His purposes (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology, 14). In all honesty, if there wasnt suffering and evil in the world, would we ever choose to pursue an all-loving God? Wouldnt you rather want to have the choice to pursue good or evil in this life, and learn from you experiences in times of suffering? Furthermore, dont we need to know what evil i s in order to comprehend that an all-loving, just God even exists? I firmly believe that God hurts when He sees His creation suffering but dont those times of suffering bring us closer to Him? God allowed evil to enter the world so that His creation can come to know Him and pursue Him in a world full of darkness. The only possible explanation of our existence is natural selection. In response to this statement, natural selection is only one idea or concept regarding our existence in the universe. Another idea happens to be the concept of intelligent design as it pertains to the universes complexity. Debaters are in constant disagreement over the two and the argument is still extremely prevalent in todays society. However, in studying the concept of irreducible complexity, one can prove that evolutionism is false. The most famous evolutionist, Charles Darwin, even stated something along the lines of if irreducible complexity were to be proven true then evolution cant be (Hardy, Chapter 7 Notes). The concept of irreducible complexity, which was formulated by Michael Behe, goes hand in hand with the teleological argument to prove Gods existence. The human cell is a complex structure made up of interdependent parts (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 20). If even one of these parts were to be removed, the cell would cease to function. This disproves the concept of macro-evolution or the idea that minor changes over time have enabled drastic changes to occur in a given species (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 21). In Apologetics class I learned about another example regarding irreducible complexity: the human eye. In order for the human eye to function, all of its interacting parts must exist together. One can not claim to have 25% of an eye, because that absolutely makes no sense! Gradual changes over time could not have occurred because all of that organs parts would have had to have formed at the same time. In addition, another one of Darwins theories is gr adualism or the notion that new traits form in the DNA code. However, scientist Gregor Mendel confirmed that our genetic make-up is hereditary or produced by the pre-existing traits of our parents (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 20). Lastly, the concept of microevolution can even be used to support the existence of God. According to Mr. Henson, a wise Creator would create flexibility within the gene pool to enable survival under any given environment, and to show His artistic creativity. This shows preplanning and purpose, which implies design (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 21). What makes Jesus so different? What did He say that was so unique? Verse John 1:35 states John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Here one can fully understand the importance of Christs sacrifice for humankind and how He was more than just a man. Jesus Christ is the epitome of the new covenant God established with His people in the New Testament. Because Christ died for us, our sins can be forgiven. He essentially is the propitiation for our sins, meaning took our punishment for sin (Henson, Christian Theology 3). In the New Testament, Jesus performed miracles, He was worshipped, He forgave sins, He answered prayers, and although He was a man, He was without sin. Here one can see Jesus divine nature when He lived (Henson, Christian Theology 15). An example of Christ performing miracles is seen in Mark 1:25-26, which reveals: Be quiet! said Jesus sternly. Come out of him! The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. An example of Christ exclaiming how He is the Son of God is seen in John 14:6 where Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. An example of Christ forgiving ones sins can be seen in Luke 7:48 which remarks, Then Jesus said to her, Your sins are forgiven.' In reference to prayer Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 6:6, But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you.' These all show h ow Jesus was a Divine Teacher who brought people to pursue the unseen God. In response to those who believe that Jesus did not claim to be God but only His son, in verse John 10:30 Jesus remarks I and the Father are one. Throughout His life on earth, it is recorded that Christ spoke many things and was more than just a good man. Why do Christians believe that there are three Gods in one? Isnt this Polytheism? The concept of the Trinity holds that there are three persons in one God. The reason why Christians believe that there are three persons in one God is because God is a relational being. In using the moral argument, one can deduce that the Moral Law Giver (the God of Christianity) has to be moral and relational because not only is He the standard for right and wrong but the concept of morality without relationships does not make sense (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 18). For example, one can not lie to a rock or some non-living creature. If one were to slap his desk or slap his little sister, which one would you consider morally wrong? Relationships are necessary in order for morals to exist. With that being said, If God is eternal, then He must be in an eternal relationship, which shows how God is not dependent on His temporal creation, for that would put limits on Him (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 18). Furthermore, if God is in an eternal relationship then He must be multi-personal, for He is the only true, infinite God. The reason why relationships are so valuable for human beings is because we were created in the image of God (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 18). To further explain the concept of the Trinity, within God there is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. All three are of the same substance' and are not separate from each other. John 1:1-2 states In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. The emphasis of Word in the above verse serves to emphasize how the Christ is God and was always God from the beginning of time. The reason why the concept of the Trinity is not polytheism is because even though the three persons within God are equal, they are economically distinct, which means that they serve different functions. The Father created the Earth, He is in charge over everything, while the Son is the mediator between God and man and lastly, the Holy Spirit convicts man of sin and immorality through guilt and shame (Henson, Introduction to Christian Theology 21). What does a person have to do to become a Christian? Why is it necessary? Couldnt you just be good and get into heaven? The infamous statement found in Ephesians 2:8-9 entails For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. Here it is evident that Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man and through His sacrifice, humankind can come to salvation if they choose to worship Him. In order to become a Christian, one has to fully accept Christ as Gods Son and by worshipping Him, one can reap eternal life. In addition, in order for one to truly know God and believe in Christ as the Savior of humankind, one has to live a life devoted to God. This means, that one can not just sin on Monday and repent on Sunday in Church and claim himself a Christian. Christians need to put forth an initiative to shy away from sin and learn to live a life here on Earth devoted to God. Even though Ephesians 2:8-9 states that it is not by works, I believe that if one truly knows God then those works will evidence in his life through the power of the Holy Spirit. In my opinion, the above question as to whether or not good people can get into heaven without believing in Christ is a conundrum. For can anyone truly be good if the Holy Spirit is not working miracles inside of them? Can anyone truly be good if they do not know God, or if they do not claim Christ as their Savior? It is evident that because God is omnibenevolent, His creation can not even try to be good without having God working somehow miraculously in their lives. Believing in Christ is an essential for salvation, but because I am a Catholic, I believe that good works are a direct byproduct of faith in Christ and that for one to be good, God has to be inside of them. Where are you at in your spiritual journey? When I was 12 years old, I lost my aunt to breast cancer and due to a family disagreement, I also lost my favorite cousins. I had just graduated from 5th grade and I just couldnt understand why JoAnne and Gerard were no longer a part of my life. As I type this, I can remember all of the times we shared: spontaneous sleepovers, watching the fireworks show that they put on every Fourth of July, every single Christmas Eve that I can remember, all of the tickle wars that I never seemed to win, and the times when we would swim all day in their backyard pool. I never knew what it was like to lose someone you truly loved and cared for with all of your heart or what it would be like to never see them or hear from them again. I lost my two role-models, the people that I looked up to and could never wait to visit. However, even through this painful experience, Ive never shut God out of my life completely. Through the hard years, I always prayed to God to not only help me understand why this wa s happening but also for my cousins that I no longer knew. This experience never brought me really close to God, it kind of kept me at bay even though I never completely shut Him out of my life. However while I tried to block this experience from my mind and move on, adversity entered my life in a completely, different unexpected way. The first day of my sophomore year of high school, my mother had a stroke, and from this experience I learned how important my family was in my life. From this point on, I feel as though my faith has grown tremendously, not only because Ive grown in a Christian environment but because God used these experiences to help me come to know Him. Even though I cant really explain how, I know that God works in mysterious ways, especially in my life and He has so many things planned for me. The experience with my mom shocked our family and made us realize that we were ignoring God for earthly desires. When all of this was happening, I completely detested ever going to Charlotte Christian, but i know that God made everything happen the way it did because it has made me a stronger woman in my faith and personal journey with the Lord. Even now, these past few months, Ive been trying to have a new relationship with my cousins but because all of this time has passed, I dont even know where to start. I pray to God every night about how I can know them again, even though I know it wont ever be the same. Right now a lot of change is going to happen for me and even though it has been hard I honestly have put all of my faith in knowing that God knows whats best for me. Im reading book called God Always has a Plan B, and it has just been helping me get through college rejections and acceptances. I have no idea where I am going to end up, but I know that God has definitely made it clear where He does not want me to go. I have completely accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and I try every day to live according to Gods plan. I know that Im not perfect and I have many faults, but I know that God sees my strengths and talents for Im created in His image. After having the opportunity to take classes such as Christian Theology and Apologetics, I feel as though my faith has been challenged and Im glad that I am able to question and not be afraid. I have had doubts enter my mind of course, but they have just served to make my faith stronger. I dont know where I would be today if I didnt have God actively working my life. I dont understand how some people can live everyday and not feel like theres something out there thats greater than we could ever be. As one chapter in my life comes to an end, I know that my spiritual journey will continue to become a larger part of me. Even though I have had painful experiences, God has blessed me with the ability to ch